For many years the NHS has been beset by problems of recruitment and retention. Improving Working Lives (IWL) is an initiative by the Department of Health to ensure that NHS organisations create flexible working environments that promote staff welfare and development.
All NHS organisations are assessed in different areas (or ‘standards’) for how well they contribute to the experience of employees working for the organisation. By the end of March 2006 all NHS organisations are required to demonstrate that they are implementing 7 IWL standards across the entire organisation in order to achieve 'Practice Plus' accreditation.
The NHS Plan, launched by the Department of Health in 2000 introduced the idea of Improving Working Lives. IWL acknowledges that investments in human resources can improve patient care. Basically IWL is meant to ensure that NHS organisations show a commitment to giving staff greater flexibility and control over their own time, improving access to childcare, encouraging diversity, tackling discrimination, harassment and bullying.
The seven standards for IWL which all NHS organisations must meet are:
-- Human Resource Strategy & Management
-- Equality and Diversity
– Communication and Staff Involvement
– Flexible Working
– Healthy Working
– Training and Development
– Flexible Retirement & Childcare & Support for Carers
Not only does the IWL Standard offer guidance on employment practices for managers, it also enables staff themselves to assess human resource management against various benchmarks which have been established by IWL. NHS organisations previously met IWL Practice status and the same organisations are now required by the Department of Health to achieve Practice Plus accreditation by the end of March 2006. This involves demonstrating that the IWL standards are being implemented across the organisation, in all staff groups.
In order for Practice Plus accreditation to take place, the NHS organisation firstly must write a self-assessment report about how well it feels it meets all 7 IWL Practice Plus standards. Then a small team of four people employed in other NHS organisations (always including at least one staffside representative) visits the NHS organisation to validate (or not) the self-assessment report. The report is then moderated and the organisation given the final report. The organisation is then given the opportunity to meet any standards which the validation team feels have not been met on the first visit; although obviously this must be done before the end of March 2006.
More information about Improving Working Lives from:
Department of Health
NHS Employers
